Benjamin a



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.;

-- B. A. DAVIS.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS.

"No. 543,179 PatentedJfily 23,1895.

- I WT (No Mqdel.)

B. A. DAVIS. MEANS FOR PRO-PELLING VESSELS.

Patehted JuIy ZS, 1895.1?

JWIZ'NESSES. 'r

A ITO/WEE '50 blower.

UNITE STAT-Es BENJAMIN A. DAVIS,

PATENT 'OFF I' on NEW YORK, NQY.

MEANS FOR .PROP'ELLING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming' pait of Letters Patent No. 543,179, dated July23, 1895.

Application-filedd'uly 13,1894. Serial No. 517,424. (No man.)

To all whom it may concern.-

I Be it known that I, BENJAMIN A. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forPropelling Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to bee full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it ap-' pertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to certain new and usef ul improvements in meansfor propelling vessels.

It has for its object the utilizationot air under pressure in suchmanner as to obtain direct reactionary efiects, and also to secure thefullest results by delivering the air against an enlarged area of water.

With these objects'in view my invention consists in the peculiarconstruction and arrangement hereinafter fully described andspecifically claimed.

. While my improvements are designed to be used as an auxiliary to anyother well-known means of'propulsion, they may be successfully employedwithout the aid thereof. I I

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay fully understand the same, I will proceed to describe theconstruction and arrangement and the T principle involved,referring byletters of reference to the accompanying drawings, in 'which- Figure 1is a side elevation, partly in section, of a vessel embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with a portion of the hull broken away,exposing the relation between the blower and the air-conduits, and

also showing a'pipe communication with the blower and the smoke-stack.Fig. 3 is a detail section illustrating a modification of end of theair-conduit, and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating thebell-mouth or end of the air-conduit extending beyond the hull of thevessel. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly insection, of a vessel, thisview being designed more particularly to show the exhaust-pipescommunicating with the engine-room and cabin, and also connected withthe eye of the eral figures of the drawings.

A represents the hull of a vessel, and B is a smoke-stack. A suitableblower O. is arranged at any convenient or desirable locality in thevessel and adapted by suitable con nections with the engine to be drivenat any required rate of speed. This blower may beconnected by suitablepipes DD with that Similar letters indicate like parts in the sev- Iportion of the vesselwherein the cargo is 10- cated and adapted todrawair from and through the cargo to suitably ventilate the same and tosupply the blower with air. Suitable pipe connections may also be madewith tiousof thevessel which it may be desirable to ventilate. p or morepipes E,-may connect the blower with the smoke-stack B to utilize theexhaust and heated air and to assist in regulating combustion.

F is an air-conduct connected with the blower C and extending toward thestern of the vessel and terminating at a line coinci-- dent with thestern, as shown clearly at Fig. 1. The terminal end. of the air-conduitF is made of cone or bell shape, as seen at Figs. 1, 3, or 4, in orderthat an increased area of water surface may be presented for, theactionof the air forced through the conduit F by the blower (3. Anotherairconduit. G extends from the blower to thebow'ot the vessel and issimilarly enlarged at its extreme or delivery end.

While I have shown the air-conduits'as extending to and being coincidentwith the lines of thestern and bowofthe vessel, it

will be understoodthat'the straight air-conduits may connect withcone-shaped or bell-- mouthedirecesses formed in'the hull--that is tosay, the hull of. the vessel may be so con-' Other connections,'such asone the state-rooms, furnace-room, or other porstructed as to provide aflaring orbell-mouthed terminal for the air-conduits.

I have shown at Fig. 4 the. air-conduit extending beyond the plane ofthe hull of the vessel; but I prefer the construction shown in the otherfigures of the drawings, although I do not wish to be limited in thisrespect; nor do I wish to be limited to the geometrical form of theflaring mouth or exit of the airconduits, so long as the generic ideaisin- .prevent ingress of water.

Hin the air-conduit G is closed, and if the air-conduit G is being usedto back the vessel then the gate H in .the conduit F is closed,

and each air-conduit is provided with a gate or valve I near the"blower, so that the current of air under pressure generated bythe blowermay be controlled in an obvious way and delivered to either one of theconduits.

'lhe conduits FG terminate below the waterline of the vessel andpreferably incline downwardly, as shown.

A great variety of changes may be made in} the details of constructionand arrangement of parts without departing from the gist or principleinvolved in my invention, which consists in so forming the delivery endof, the air-conduit as to present a broad area of water, against whichthe air forced by the blower will come into contact, thus-largelyincreasing the reactionary power of the air.

It is desirable that the'air-conduits should be throughout their lengthas unobstructed as possible by bonds or curves. in order to lessen thefriction of the air, and it will be understood that I do not wish tolimit myself to. any exact, location or number of, the airconduits or tothe point at which they shall 5 by Letters Patent, is-

I 1. In combination with the blower O and .air conduits F, G, pipes D,connecting wit-h the cargo' space, and the eye of the blower, toventilate the'cargo and supply air for compression, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the blower Can'd air conduits F, G, the pipe Econnected at one end with the smoke. stack B, and at the other end withthe blower C, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.-

3. A vessel havingone or more air conduits FG extending from a blower 0,said air conduits being continuous and uniform in diameter, andterminating in enlarged or. hell shaped mouths, in combination withexhaust ,pipescommuni'cating with the cabins, engine room or smokestack, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix mysig'nature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN A. DAVIS. Witnesses:

SAML..I. WRIGHT, GEO. W. Po'rTER.

